Civil Rights Activist Andrew Goodman Honored by his School and with Presidential Medal of Freedom
Civil Rights activist Andrew Goodman received Presidential Medal of Honor from President Obama, after being honored by his school, the Trevor Day School, on the 50th Anniversary of his death. Goodman's brother, David Goodman, spoke on his behalf at the assembly.
- New York, NY (1888PressRelease) November 22, 2014 - "On the battlefield of justice, men and women without rank or wealth or title or fame would liberate us all in ways that our children now take for granted... To dismiss the magnitude of this progress, to suggest, as some sometimes do, that little has changed - that dishonors the courage and the sacrifice of those who paid the price to march in those years. Medgar Evers, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, Martin Luther King Jr., they did not die in vain. Their victory was great."
---President Barack Obama, August 28th 2013, Let Freedom Ring Ceremony Commemorating 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington
This past week, President Obama declared that Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 24th, 2014. Established in 1963, this award is the highest civilian award in the Unites States and recognizes individuals who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security of our national interests, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."
And, in September 2014, legislation (H.R. 4409) was introduced to Congress by New York Senator Kirstin Gillibrand and Mississippi Senators Roger Wicker and Thad Cochran, to award posthumous Congressional Medals of Honor to Messrs. Goodman, Chaney, and Schwerner. Senator Gillibrand was quoted as saying: "James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner are unsung heroes who sacrificed their lives in the fight for freedom, justice and equality for all. This recognition is long overdue..."
In the summer of 1964, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner set out from their hometown of New York City, as part of the Congress of Racial Equality's Summer Freedom Project, to register African Americans to vote in Mississippi. There they worked closely with Mississippian, James Chaney. Their journey ended tragically, as the three civil rights activists were targeted and murdered by the Klu Klux Klan for their efforts.
In the years since, the legacy of Andrew Goodman has stood as a beacon of strength and honor in the Civil Rights Movement and in the foundations that bear his name. The Trevor Day School in Manhattan bears the responsibility, privilege, and great honor of educating its students within the walls of The Goodman Building. This building is named for Andrew Goodman, who was an Alumnus of the Walden School. The Walden School was incorporated into The Day School in 1991, and renamed Trevor Day School in 1997.
The Trevor Day School community celebrates the legacy of Andrew Goodman regularly, but especially this year, on the 50th anniversary of his death. On November 7th, Trevor was honored to welcome David Goodman, brother of Andrew, to speak at an all-school event entitled, TO HONOR AND TO INSPIRE: Trevor Remembers the Life & Legacy of Andrew Goodman. Mr. Goodman spoke to students ages 5 through 18, about what his brother believed in and what he felt was worth fighting for. The Trevor students honored Andrew Goodman's life with musical performances of "We Shall Overcome," "Those Three Are on My Mind," and "Hold On." Middle and High School students also created a living timeline of the Civil Rights Movement and Andrew Goodman's life, as well as performed excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail.
For more information, contact:
Morgan Porzio, Director of Marketing & Communications
Trevor Day School, 566 Columbus Avenue, NY, NY
p: 646.672.5571 e: mporzio ( @ ) trevor dot org w: www.trevor.org
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